Decorah's appeal to join UIC is denied

The Iowa Department of Education has denied an appeal by the Decorah Community School District to join the Upper Iowa Conference (UIC).

The state released its denial decision last week, affirming a mediation team’s previous denial of a petition from Decorah to be admitted into the UIC.

Representatives from the school district as well as the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, Iowa High School Athletic Association and Upper Iowa Conference met for mediation in July, several months after the Upper Iowa Conference turned down Decorah’s request.

Decorah is currently in the Northeast Iowa Conference, but the league will dissolve after the 2024-2025 season, as three of its member schools—Crestwood, New Hampton and Waukon—head to the Upper Iowa Conference. Decorah hoped to join too based on geographic location, but the UIC cited a disparity in school enrollment.

The Upper Iowa Conference currently includes North Fayette Valley, MFL MarMac, South Winneshiek, Postville, Clayton Ridge, Central, Turkey Valley, Kee and West Central. Even with the upcoming addition of the three larger schools, the average enrollment for UIC schools would be 171.42, according to the denial decision. Decorah’s enrollment is over 2.5 times that number.

“Ideally, Decorah would have a conference of similarly sized schools in close proximity. However, a choice between travel time and school size must be made. By its decision, the mediation team gave greater weight to the latter while considering both factors. On the state of this record, the undersigned cannot find or conclude that the mediation team failed to consider either of these factors, read the denial document signed by Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow.

Although Decorah alleged it was unfairly excluded from a conference, the document further stated, “while Decorah has been excluded from a conference, it has not been ‘unfairly excluded’ from a conference.”